Road grader



Feb. 1S, 1927 R T, MQWBRAY ROAD GRADER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Deo. 4.1925.

j?. Z. Mowbray Strom Feb. 15, 1927 R. T MOWBRAY ROAD GRADER Filed Dec.4. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I?. T. Mawray my auxiliary device.

Patented Feb. l5, 1927.

ROBERT T. MOW'BRAY, OF WATERLOO, IOWA.

ROAD GRADER.

Application filed December Ll, 1925.

My invention relates to improvements in road grading apparatus, and theobject of my improvement is to associate with the blade of such a devicecooperating mechanism adapted and mounted relative to the blade toprevent sticking of soil thereon and to assist in the conveyance of theexcavated soil to one end of the blade for deposit.

This object I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafterdescribed and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. l is a perspective side elevation of4 a roadgrading machine whose blade is equipped with Fig. 2 is a. top plan ofthe frame of such a machine and one pair of traveling wheels only, withthe blade and its adjusting means and supports, and my auxiliary devicemounted upon the blade and' driven by power transmission mechanismconnected operatively between it and one of the traveling wheels. Fig. 3is a rear elevation, on a larger scale, of said blade and my said deviceoperatively mounted thereon, with certain of the elements of the powertransmission device connected thereto. Figfil is a detail fragmentaryview of part of the driving sprocket, its chain, and the endless slattedapron mounted upon the chain-links.

While my auxiliary soil handling device may be mounted in a similar wayupon any description of soil excavating or scraping blades as employedin road or ditch work, whether leveling, cutting and delivering orfilling, it is here illustrated and particularly employed as a part ofthe mechanism of a road grading machine, useful therein for all thevaried functions of the machine.

Fig. l shows a typical machine of this class. It possesses a raisedmetallic frame of skeleton type 5st mounted on pivoted forward wheelsand having rear traveling wheels 52 rotatably mounted on axle-spindlesas usual. The machine may be propelled by means of a tractor not shown,and has the necessary connections for a freely movable and adjustableblade l, with devices for the adjustment thereof, or the lifting orlowering or tilting thereof, not particularly described here, being wellknown to those skilled in the art.

The blade l is of the kind which is shallowly troughed `forwardlylongitudinally, and I have removed therefrom its middle portionlongitudinally in such wise as to leave an elongated rectangular opening2 Serial No. 73,236.

somewhat nearer its upper edge than its lower, the latter and exposedpart suilicing to fulfill the usual purposes of the blade in scrapingand excavatingwith its lower longitudinal advanced cutting edge.

The blade l may be swung around to present either vertical cut-ting edgeat its ends as the advancing end, for use in excavating soil,particularly when the blade is adjusted in its longitudinal inclinationto the soil so as to cut and excavate soil at one side of the machine,as in ditching operations. lt will be noticed that a relatively widesurface area is provided at the ends of the blade to carry the excavatedsoil thrown up by the advancing cutting end of the blade and deliver itupon the full width vertically of the travelling apron in the rear, thelatter carrying the soil rearwardly, and upwardly also, according to theinclination of the blade. In Fig. 3, at the left hand end of the bladeand said apron, a pair of adjustable connections are shown between theblade and the apron shaft. at that end, comprising an angle platefastened on the blade n each case, whose flange is apertured to receivethe threaded stem of a bolt which also traverses a flange on anotherangle plate carried by said shaft, and a nut on the said stem is used toadjust the two angle plates together to thus keep the apron tautlongitudinally.

This blade l is mounted for rearwardly tilting adjustments on bolts 34traversing depending heavy shanks 33 whose upper ends are lixed toopposite parts of a large horizontal gear 32. The gear 32 is rotatablymounted upon divergent rigidly connected arms 3l whose forward ends arepivotally mounted in the frame with connection to the tongue 56 wherebylaterally swinging movements of the tongue in changing direction of themachine is communicated to the gear 32 and also to the blade l to keepthe latter in the desired angular relation to the way traversed.

As shown in Fig. l, links 57 may be connected to the arms 31 and tocranks 58 on a shaft 59, the latter rotated by hand-wheels to thus liftor lower the arms and blade or to tilt them laterally.

A short vertically disposed rotary shaft 13 back of one end of the bladel and across the opening 2 has its ends rotatably mounted inlongitudinally adjustable bearing-boxes con nected to the blade, andidler shafts 12 are arranged at equal distances apart across saidopening with their ends rotatable in bearingboxes 9 secured byadjusting-nuts and bolts 11 so that the boxes may be adjusted to andfrom the blade as found necessary.

Upon all the shafts 13 and 12 inalinement are sprockets 14 and 8respectively of like size and spaced apart on the shafts and from theends thereof. These sprockets carry sprocket-chains 4 meshed with theteeth thereof, and each chaincarries anend part of a transverselyslatted endless belt or traveling apron made up of relatively narrowoverlapping slats 3 which may-beef any desired cross sectional shape.Each slat carries a spaced pairof apertured lugs which are pivotallyconnected by pintles to apertured bosses 6 on opposite outer edges ofopposite outer links 4.

The endless slatted apron is to beso ,positioned that its forward reachstan s within the opening 2te virtually continue the vfoiivard surfaceof the blade thereby, although theface of theapron is substantially flatinstead of partaking of the curvilinear troughing of the blade. Theshaft 13 is the driving shaft for theapron and is to berotated usuallytocarry the'forward reach of the apron `to the left of the machine. Theshaft 13 may be rotated by any desired kind of power transmission deviceand motive power, and l do not wish to be specifically limited to thosedevices shown, which are merely illustrative.

`As comparativelylittle power-is necessary to drive this apron, atraveling wheel 52 may be employed to supply the motive power. ln thisevent,-a gear-wheel 51 may be concentrically mounted rigidly upon thewheel spokes, in mesh 'with a pinion 50 on the-outer end of `a shaft 48supported in a bearing `arm 49.

The other en'd of the shaft 48 may be supported in a bearing' in abracket fixed on the frame body 54' and hasan end bevel-gear '47 inmesh'with another bevel-pinion 46 on a shortr longitudinal shaft-sectionrotatableV in another bearing on said bracket. A universal-joint 43connects the shaft section mentioned with a shaft-section 42 positionedmedially longitudinally within'said frame 54 and which is slidablynon-rotatably mounted in a tubular shaft-section 39. The sections 42 andV39 maybe connected as shown by a short spline 41 traversing alongitudinal slot 40 in the section 39. The forward end of the section39 has a universal joint connection 38 with a short section 37 rotatablein a bearing 36 fixed upon the arms 31 and carry-ing an end bevel-pinion35 in vmesh with a bevelgear 30 on a vertical shaft 28 mounted in abearing body 29 supported across the Aarms 31. On the lower end of theshaft 28 is loosely mounted a bearing body 27 g of angular form whoselower depending end has a bearing to loosely receive an end of a shortshaftsection 26. A bevel-pinion 25 is fined on the lower end of thevertical shaft 28 and in remesa mesh with. a bevel-gear 24 fixed on theshaft 26. The ,shaft 26 has a vuniversal-joint connection at 23 with atubular shaft-section 2O which slidably non-rotatably seats part of ashaft-section 19-by a lslot and spline connection 21-22 like the otherone mentioned above. rlhe shaft-section 19 has a universaljointconnection 1S with a short shaft-section mounted in aibearing 17 fixedon the blade 1 andhaving an'end bevel-.pinion 16 in mesh wlthfabevel-gear 15 fixed on the upper end of saifdapron driving-shaftl. Onall the shafts 13-12 are annular fillets 1() which loosely engage theabutting ends of the slats 3 ofthe apron to keep theapron supportedwithout sagging or displacements while in motion.`

It-will bessen-that provision for unlimited flexibility hasbeen made inthepower transmission device above described, in order to positivelydrive the apron 3, while allowing theI blade to 'be adjusted in:position relative to the machine 'frame in any way necessary workofthe-blade 'and more especially to `pileup in front of the blade a largemound lof soil which will'fnot'slide along the obstructed blade fordelivery to an end' thereof.

This furthermore createssuch an increase in the resistancetofforwardprogress of the machine as to require the useof a tractor ofmaximum power to overcome such resistance. Themovable 'apron 3 receivesthereon the excavated soil andipositively transports it to the deliveryend of the blade,.preventing sticking of the soll or mounding thereofbefore the blade. An even and minimum power supply is therefore all thatis required of the tractor, or yof the driving means for the apron, sothat a lightertractor may be used, with consequent great economy of`plant and operation expense, and expedition in the work performed.

Having described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secureby LettersPatent, is:

1. In a machine of the character described, a medially longitudinallyapertured blade having wide end parts with cutting edges, a lowercutting edge, and an endlessapron whose forward Areach is movable-withinthe Vaperture ofthe blade, substantially continuing its forward surfaceto propel accumulated soil to a delivery end of the blade.

2. In a machine of the character described,

.Tse

an end and bottom cutting blade having a longitudinal aperture, anendless apron mounted in said aperture to have its forward reachsubstantially alined With the fou Ward surface of the blade, and meansfor tilting said blade and apron in any direction adjustably includingthe lifting and lowering of the blade.

3. In a machine of the character described, an elongated blade having amedial longitudinal aperture between end edges of the blade and above abottom edge thereof, shafts rotatably mounted on the rear face of saidblade to cross said aperture at the ends and intermediately of the endsthereof, one shaft being positively rotated the other shafts being idlymounted, sprocket-wheels fixed on opposite parts of said shafts spacedfrom their ends, sprocket-chains around and meshed With saidsprocket-wheels, slats crossing said pair of chains to provide anendless apron and roekably connected to links thereof, and annularfillets on the ends of said shafts closely abutting upon the ends ofsaid slats to limit endwise movements of the slats and keep the aprontaut along said blade aperture with the front face of the front reach ofthe apron in substantial alinemeut with the front face of the blade.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

ROBERT T. MOIVBRAY.

